Drop Out Rates

Excerpt from Response to Brenda Major Commentary on Reardon Study John B. Shea M.B. FRCP...(C), George P. Dienesch M.A. (3 June 2003)

In a study of attrition rates as regards post abortion follow up, Dr. Nancy Adler states: “A review of 17 studies shows that the percent of the initial sample lost to follow-up ranges from a low of 13% to a high of 86%. Younger women and Catholic women appear to be less likely to participate in follow-up. Since both of these characteristics are associated with a greater likelihood of negative sequelae, follow-up studies may be underestimating the extent of negative reaction to abortion.” Furthermore Adler noted that unmarried women were less likely than married women to participate in follow up research. “Since the women in the sample who did experience post-abortion sequelae were all unmarried, the underrepresentration of unmarried women in the sample would lead to an underestimation of the incidence of post- abortion sequelae in the total population.” Adler also notes that a major reason for attrition in follow up studies is stressor avoidance.“Non returners may be more likely than returners to use avoidance as a general coping strategy, or may have greater need specifically to avoid thinking about the abortion.”(p.257) Studies consistently show that those who use avoidance as a coping strategy are far more likely to develop serious psychological sequelae.

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